Chapter 528: The Ex-Fiancé Problem

Yerel sat behind his desk in his private study, a quill in hand. Karson stood on the other side of the desk with a folder tucked beneath his arm.

"Is that the final draft, Karson?" Yerel asked.

"It is, Your Highness." Karson paused before continuing. "However, there’s something else you should know."

Yerel paused mid-stroke, setting his quill into its holder. He leaned back in his chair, looking up at his aide. "Go on."

Karson hesitated.

It was brief, but Yerel noticed. His aide wasn’t usually one to hold back once he had something to report.

"What is it?" Yerel asked, studying him. "You look like you have something else to say."

Karson glanced down at the folder in his hand before looking back at the Prince.

"Well... I wasn’t sure it was important enough to bring up, but..."

"But?" Yerel prompted. "You just said it required my attention, Karson."

Karson paused, then gave a small nod. "You’re right. It’s about... Lord Cherion."

Yerel’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

"Cherion?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

Yerel sat a little straighter. "What happened to him?"

"There’s been an incident at the grand theater yesterday," Karson began. "Apparently, former Lord Heinrich Bramwell attacked Lord Cherion and Lord Derrick Avery in one of the private washrooms. The guards arrested him shortly afterward."

Yerel’s sharp eyebrows pulled into a tight line. "Heinrich Bramwell? The disgraced noble who lost his official title?"

"The very same, Your Highness," Karson nodded. "It appears he attempted to ambush Lord Cherion, Lord Derrick, and Reiner inside the private washroom using a concentrated sleep powder."

Yerel shifted forward in his seat, his eyes flashing with an instant, heavy wave of wariness. A look of concern crossed his face. He placed both hands on the desk, his attention now fully on Karson.

"Cherion?" Yerel repeated, his brows drawing together. "Was he hurt? Did the powder affect him? And how did Heinrich manage to bring something like that into the theater without anyone noticing? Where were the guards?"

Karson tilted his head slightly, looking as though he was waiting to see how Yerel would react. "That is the most intriguing part, Your Highness. According to the guard on duty, Lord Cherion was not harmed in the slightest. In fact, the guards didn’t even have to intervene to subdue the assailant. By the time the guards forced the door open, Lord Cherion had already gotten the upper hand and was beating Heinrich. Only Lord Derrick and Reiner had lost consciousness. Fortunately, Lord Cherion remained unharmed. Otherwise, Lord Derrick might have taken matters even further once he came around."

Yerel blinked, stunned into a rare moment of absolute, speech-robbing silence.

"Beating? Cherion?" Yerel repeated.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk as he processed the information. In his memory, Cherion had always been a fragile, spoiled, and deeply insecure young noble. He was someone who would scream at the sight of a minor inconvenience, throw dramatic tantrums over spilt tea, and rely entirely on bodyguards to handle even the slightest physical discomfort or confrontation. Hearing that Cherion had decisively dismantled a violent, desperate assailant in close quarters sounded like a completely fabricated fable.

"He turned out to be remarkably brave," Yerel mused aloud, shaking his head with a faint, incredulous exhale. "Or perhaps far more capable than anyone in this court ever gave him credit for."

"People change significantly under new circumstances, Your Highness," Karson remarked neutrally. "Especially after surviving a harsh north."

"Still, why would Heinrich target Cherion in the first place?" Yerel asked. "Did they have some sort of dispute?"

Karson nodded slightly. "From what I’ve heard, Heinrich offended Lord Cherion during the gathering at Avery Estate. Not long afterward, his past crimes came to light, and several accusations against him were brought forward. His family lost its standing along with him."

"Then he blamed Cherion for his downfall?" Yerel asked.

"That seems to be the case, Your Highness. Heinrich may have convinced himself that Lord Cherion was responsible for everything that happened to him."

Yerel leaned back in his chair, considering the matter. "Do you think Zarius had anything to do with it?"

"The possibility cannot be ruled out," Karson replied. "The timing is rather convenient, after all."

Yerel let out a quiet breath, a hint of amusement crossing his face.

"I didn’t realize the Duke of Valtrane was so protective of his future husband."

Yerel stayed quiet for a long moment, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the desk. The initial shock slowly faded, leaving behind a cold, dark anger in Yerel’s eyes as his focus shifted back to the perpetrator. His jaw tightened into a rigid line.

"That bastard Heinrich..." Yerel muttered, his jaw tightening. "He actually dared to bring weapons and sleeping powder into a theater and attack members of noble houses? The man has already disgraced his family, and now he’s gone this far."

He tapped his fingers against the desk. "Have the Ministry of Justice investigate the Bramwells’ remaining assets. I want every last one of them seized if there’s a legal basis for it. And Heinrich..." His voice turned cold. "The northern labor mines are too good for him. Make sure he’s given a punishment he won’t soon forget."

"The Chief Magistrate is already preparing the formal charges, Your Highness," Karson assured him quietly. "He will face severe punishment for what he has done."

Yerel let out a heavy breath and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He had never paid much attention to Cherion before, so why was the thought of someone targeting him suddenly bothering him so much?

"Karson," Yerel spoke up. "Arrange for a selection of medicinal herbs, healing supplies, and other necessities to be sent to Cherion. Make sure he has everything he might need while recovering from the incident."

Karson made no move to write down the order. Instead, he stood quietly, his eyes resting on Yerel as though he had something to say.

"However, Lord Cherion seems to be doing quite well, Your Highness," Karson said. "It was Lord Avery and Cherion’s attendant who lost consciousness during the incident."

Yerel raised an eyebrow. "And that doesn’t change the fact that Cherion was fighting someone. He could have bruises or cuts."

Karson gave a small nod. "Only Lord Cherion, Your Highness?"

Yerel paused, looking up at his aide.

Karson tilted his head slightly, offering a subtle, gentle reminder. "Given that Lord Cherion is your ex-fiancé... sending something exclusively to him will certainly set high-society tongues wagging. The court gossips are already sensitive about any lingering connection or interaction between the two of you. They will twist it into a romantic gesture within hours."

Yerel fell silent for a moment, realizing Karson had a point. He leaned back in his chair and let out a tired sigh.

"You’re right," Yerel admitted with a quiet sigh. "But, if my father hears about this, he’ll worry about Cherion and probably insist on sending him something himself. I don’t see why I should wait for that. Besides, people will talk regardless of what I do, so there’s no point in making this more complicated than it needs to be."

Yerel adjusted his cuffs and sat a little straighter, his expression returning to its usual composure.

"We will simply treat this as if my father requested it," Yerel instructed. "Send it to House Avery for Lord Derrick as well. That way, the court sees it as a broad imperial gesture of goodwill toward the victimized noble houses, rather than a personal favor."

Karson’s lips twitched with a small, satisfied smile as he took out his notepad and began writing down the details of the order. "A very prudent and strategic decision, Your Highness. I’ll have the medicinal supplies and other necessities prepared and sent to both noble houses by the royal messengers before evening."

"Make sure both of them are completely okay," Yerel added, his tone softening back into genuine, grounded sincerity. "And have the capital guards increase their patrols around public establishments. I won’t have another incident like this happening because security was too lax. They need to keep a closer watch. I don’t want any more dangerous surprises happening under our watch."

"Understood, Your Highness," Karson replied with a deep bow. He placed the folder on the table before excusing himself and leaving the study.

As the door shut behind Karson, Yerel rose from his chair and walked toward the tall windows. He paused in front of them, gazing out over the capital as his thoughts returned to the news he had just heard.

It seemed that every time he heard something about Cherion, he discovered another side of the man he hadn’t known existed.

First, there was his unexpected courage. Then his ability to handle himself in a fight. And now, despite being caught in a dangerous situation, he had managed to come out of it without a scratch while the others had lost consciousness.

Each new piece of information seemed to bring another surprise.

Yerel had once thought Cherion was nothing more than a spoiled young noble who had spent his life chasing after people who didn’t want him. He had never bothered to look beyond that reputation. But lately, every new thing he heard about Cherion made it harder for him to match the man he was now learning about with the one he had known before.

And, strangely enough, he found himself wanting to know more.

How many more unexpected sides of Cherion had he yet to see?